Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05NAIROBI5073
2005-12-08 11:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:
KENYA'S NEW CABINET: NO NATIONAL UNITY, NO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHNR #5073/01 3421116 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 081116Z DEC 05 FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8325 INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 8067 RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 4325 RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 3885 RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 0988 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1791 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1788
C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 005073
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/FO, AF/PD, AF/E, LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM KE
SUBJECT: KENYA'S NEW CABINET: NO NATIONAL UNITY, NO
STRATEGIC VISION
REF: A. (A) NAIROBI 4901
B. (B) NAIROBI 4878
Classified By: A/PolCouns L. Peterson for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 005073
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/FO, AF/PD, AF/E, LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM KE
SUBJECT: KENYA'S NEW CABINET: NO NATIONAL UNITY, NO
STRATEGIC VISION
REF: A. (A) NAIROBI 4901
¶B. (B) NAIROBI 4878
Classified By: A/PolCouns L. Peterson for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Late December 7, Kenyan President Mwai
Kibaki finally announced his new cabinet. Instead of
cleaning house as most Kenyans hoped, President Kibaki has
returned to cabinet a full measure of corrupt and
obstructionist ministers, including those who advised him so
badly on the constitutional referendum. Thrown out of
cabinet is the entire Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) team
of ministers that won so decisively the referendum vote. To
compensate for the departure of the ODM ministers, Kibaki has
scavenged, mainly in the lower ranks of opposition party
KANU. The only apparent good news in Kibaki,s announcement
is the exclusion from the new cabinet of former Transport
Minister and corruption kingpin Chris Murungaru. A number of
designated ministers and assistant ministers, in a sign of
displeasure at the decision-making process, have declined to
take up their appointments. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (U) This is the first in a series of cables discussing
President Kibaki,s recent announcement of his new cabinet.
Septels will share in greater detail the biographies of
appointed individuals and discuss the cases of those who have
declined their cabinet appointments.
--------------
After Two Weeks, A Cabinet at Last
--------------
¶3. (C) After two weeks of waiting and "consulting",
President Kibaki announced his new cabinet late December 7,
just as his self-imposed deadline expired. The new line up
falls far short of creating a government of national unity,
as promised by Kibaki following the defeat of the
government's position in the November 21 constitutional
referendum. The ministers retained are among the
President,s key allies who supported the government,s
position on the referendum campaign. The absence of
anti-corruption czar John Githongo,s name among the new
appointees indicates that Kibaki spurned the former's offer
to return to serve in the new government (presumably at the
Permanent Secretary level.)
¶4. (C) While there are a number of new faces in the cabinet
line up, many are familiar. Sixteen former ministers were
re-appointed to their positions and several ei